


Something There

by DareTony



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drinking, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Men Crying, Peer Pressure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 12:11:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15072893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DareTony/pseuds/DareTony
Summary: Doc is bothered by the fact Lion won't drink at the celebration on base and so he tries to peer pressure him. What he doesn't know is that Lion is only hanging on to sobriety by a thread.





	Something There

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, several of the Rainbow Six teams gather in the spacious recreational lounge provided on their base. All the teams, even the often reckless Smoke and Thermite, have returned safe and unharmed from successful missions. It is the first time in months anyone has returned without a single injury. Thus, being that it is such a rare occurrence, the base saw it as a means to celebrate. Even Doc, who normally passes on such occasion in order to finish additional paperwork has decided to partake in the festivities.

“Would you like a drink Olivier?” Rook offers a glass of whiskey to the other French operator as he passes his seat. Lion is the only one at the party that has yet to have a single drop of alcohol. Instead, he slowly sips from the soft drink in his hand.

“No thank you, Julien. I am good,” Lion says after a few awkward seconds, seeming as if he was tensely deliberating it with himself. “Thank you for the offer though.”

Doc, having watched the interaction, frowns in distaste. Why would he refuse to have even one drink with them? Did he think that it made him a better man? Having already had a few drinks himself, Doc is a little more loose with his words than he normally would be. So he doesn’t hold back his feelings towards Lion in the moment.

“Come on, you can have one drink Olivier. Even I am not that much of a stick in the mud,” Doc bites out with a tone full of venom. It is clear to everyone that Doc’s dislike for Lion is more than just that.

Rook, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a fight, scrambles back over to his seat beside Twitch. Doc has never read any of Lion’s personal files. He doesn’t know the years Lion has spent letting himself be ruled by his addiction to alcohol. Doc has no idea how much Lion’s resolve is already wavering. It is near painful how much he wants to give in, to take even just a sip and undo all the work he has done so far to stay sober.

“No…. really. I am fine with this,” Lion looks uncomfortable, avoiding meeting the intense gaze of the other man. It seems that Doc does not care to even consider the other man’s unease.

“Do you think that by refusing to drink with us that you are being high and mighty? Does it make you closer to the Lord? Is it God that doesn't want you to drink? Or do you think that it makes up for the the lives you taken, for the deaths you have caused?”

Right away Doc knows that he has taken it too far, but he forces himself to believe he doesn't care. Even as he can visibly see he has stricken a nerve with Lion. That was the goal wasn’t it? To get on the nerves of the other man so he didn’t get the false idea he is superior? He isn’t so sure anymore. Lion’s whole face flushes red from either embarrassment or anger, it is unclear. All the operators close enough to have heard the conversation are silent and stunned that Doc would ever say such a thing.

“I have to go,” as the larger man stands, he reaches out across the table and snags a bottle of rum off the table. It the first thing he spots. At this point Lion just doesn’t care what it is as he turns and nearly runs from the room.

Everything is fine. Or at least that is what Doc tells himself for the rest of the night as he continues to nurse his own glass. He goes about his own business, socializing with his co-workers as he pretends that nothing happened. Although Doc surely catches the disappointed look Rook shoots him halfway through the night. Lion can sort out his own problems. There is nobody here to act like a mother for him, so might as well toughen up and solve his own issues. Yet the pit of what can only be guilt still twists and swells inside of Doc as the night goes on.

“Have you seen Olivier around?” Montagne inquires as he gracefully sinks into the open seat beside the French doctor. “He told me he was coming tonight, despite his reservations about being around so many people that are drinking. I was hoping to see him.”

“On that topic, what is his problem with drinking?” Doc tries to hide the true extent of his curiosity. Luckily Montagne pays no mind as he turns to answer the question.

“You don’t already know? Huh, I would have thought you had read his personal files when he joined Rainbow,” Montagne hums thoughtfully, crossing his legs to get more comfortable. “Olivier was an alcoholic for several years prior to joining Rainbow. He says that even to his day it is a daily struggle to avoid temptation and keep sober. It has been good so far. I can’t remember the last time he gave in.”

Spitting out his drink, Doc goes pale in the face as he sprints out of the room without bothering to explain anything to a very confused Montagne. How could he have been such a fool? He is a doctor for Christ's sake! Numerous times in the past Doc has dealt with past recovered alcoholics, so he knows the signs. These signs were all very evident with Lion, but Doc was so blinded by his displeasure with the man that he let his judgement become clouded. Doc needs to fix this situation before hope is lost.

It is a bit of a surprise that Doc knows exactly which dorm belongs to Lion, but he doesn’t give it a second thought as he knocks lightly on the door. When a few seconds pass without response. Feeling a bit worried, Doc opens the door to find the room completely dark.

“Olivier?” Doc calls into the darkness. Although he does not get a response, he can hear a soft sobbing coming from the opposite side of the room.

Without a response, Doc sees no other option other than to flick the light on. Across the small apartment, he sees Lion crumbled up on the floor with his back pressed against the wall. Red rims his eyes as he sits hunched over his knees, the near empty bottle of rum dangling from his fingers. It hurts for Doc to know that this is partially his fault. He never should have pushed him. Never should have said such awful words to him. As much as he may not like Lion, he should know better than to act as such to a fellow operator. It is a hard life for all of them.

“Come on, let me have that,” Doc cautiously kneels down in front of the drunken man, gingerly reaching out to take the bottle from his hand. Relinquishing it without a fight, Lion proceeds to then bury his face into his hands.

This is the first time that Doc has ever seen the other man look so weak and defeated. He finds that it isn’t a sight he enjoys. Shuffling to sit beside him, Doc rests his hand on Lion’s trembling shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I should not have said those things to you or pressured you. As a doctor I should have known better. You are not a bad person Olivier, and I just hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me.”

Lion shakes his head, startling Doc by shifting to wrap his arms around the older man and burying his face into his chest. Tears soak through the fabric of his shirt. Instead of pushing the man away though Doc simply rests a hand along his back.

“No, you are right to hate me,” Lion sobs, hands fisting up Doc’s shirt. His words are slurred to the point Doc thinks it will be a miracle if he remembers much of the night come morning. “I’ve done so many horrible things, taken so many lives. There is no coming back from that. You should hate me. Even I hate me.”

There is a deep etched frown on Doc’s face as he shifts to comfortably cradle the larger man against his chest, fingers soothingly stroking his blond locks. “I do not hate you Olivier,” Doc reassures, finding that for once the words are actually true. “Your past mistakes do not define who you are, and I am sorry for not realizing this earlier.”

All the times Doc was ever harsh or cold with Lion circle back through his mind and he feels regret. So many times has he been hard on him without knowing the struggles Lion suffers with on a daily basis. Lion does not deserve everyone’s hatred.

“Come on big guy, let’s get you to bed. I’ll be here in the morning with something for the hangover you will no doubt have,” standing up, Doc hooks his arms around Lion to slowly drag him over to his bed. For the first time as he is pulling the sheets up to Lion’s shoulders, he looks at the man with something other than distaste. Perhaps he misjudged him all along.


End file.
